Published aeronautical charts, such as, for example, Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) charts, Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) charts, or Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) charts Standard Instrument Departure (SID) routes, Departure Procedures (DP), terminal procedures, approach plates, and the like, depict and describe the procedures for operating aircraft in the vicinity of various airports, runways, or other landing and/or departure locations. These charts graphically illustrate and describe the specific procedures (e.g., minimum descent altitudes, minimum runway visual range, final course or heading, relevant radio frequencies, missed approach procedures) to be followed or otherwise utilized by a pilot for a particular approach or departure. These charts are typically provided by a governmental or regulatory organization, such as, for example, the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States.
Traditionally, a pilot would maintain copies of these printed charts for the various possible airports that the pilot may encounter during operation of the aircraft. For example, for worldwide operation, there are as many as 17,000 charts, and each airport may include multiple runways with multiple possible approaches and departures. Often, a pilot would annotate the paper chart for a particular procedure with empirical information gained from previous experience executing the procedure. Thus, when the pilot consulted the paper chart for the procedure, the annotation(s) on the paper chart would remind the pilot of important information learned from previous experiences executing the procedure.
Electronic displays in many modern flight deck displays (or cockpit displays) have eliminated the need to maintain paper charts for the various procedures that a pilot may need to execute. However, in the absence of paper charts, the pilot does not have the ability to permanently annotate the electronically displayed procedure information. Often, execution of one of these procedures, such as an instrument approach procedure, is one of the most critical periods during operation of an aircraft. Therefore, it is desirable that the pilot be able to utilize any information gained from previous experience to facilitate safe and reliable execution of the particular procedure.